Sander Pastor Norman G
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1916 |
| Place of birth | Tablelands |
| Date of death | 2002 |
Born on July 23, 1916, at Tablelands near Eudunda, Pastor Norman G. Sander was educated at Peep Hill Primary School and Eudunda High School before attending Immanuel College, Adelaide, on a scholarship.
His lone term ambition was to become a school teacher but he was led in a different direction,
After matriculating, Pastor Sander entered Immanuel Lutheran Seminary in Adelaide. Where he was appointed head prefect. He was ordained as a Lutheran pastor on June 18, 1939.
While on his first appointment for mission field work in outback Queensland, Pastor Sander married Margarethe Frida Stolz. They lived in the manse, which was a small vestry of the church.
Never idle, Pastor Sander obtained his doctorate in philosophy while in Queensland, and in 1947 accepted a call to serve in a four-church parish in the Barossa Valley, where he was also chaplain to newly arrived migrants from war-torn Europe in the Woodside Migrant Camp in the Adelaide Hills.
In 1954 Pastor Sander was asked to act as chaplain on the migrant ship the Skaubryn, which brought displaced people to Australia. The following year the Skaubryn sank, but fortunately with no loss of life.
A period very dear to Pastor Sander was his term of office as chaplain at the Bonegilla Immigration Centre in- Victoria, from 1960 to 1970. He also was executive officer of immigration in NSW, and served on many church and community committees throughout Australia.
Pastor Sander was chaplain to the migrant workers on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, and was recognised by the Department, of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in Canberra for his valued service to newcomers to Australia.
Fluent in German and Finnish, and able to speaks some French, Pastor Sander had a passion for the study of new languages, and as a hobby taught German and coached theological students in Ancient Greek.
Another attribute Pastor Sander had was baking, and besides bread, he baked 500 to 600 honey biscuits each Christmas for over 40 years. Which he gift-packaged for family, friends and the underprivileged.
In 1970 Pastor Sander accepted a call to serve the Immanuel and Zion Lutheran Parish in Gawler. His years in Gawler were very dear him. He continued his interest in newcomers by actively supporting the work of the Indo-Chinese Refugee Association in settling Vietnamese families in and around Gawler.
Whilst in Gawler, Pastor Sander and his wife Ied several tours to Europe for Thomas Cook Tours, and spent six months in Germany serving a small German congregation.
Pastor Sander and his wife retired from active ministry in 1984, and chose to remain in Gawler. Retirement was anything but inactive though, as he continued to help out in various parishes in South Australia, Victoria and NSW.
In 1997 Pastor Sander and his wife moved to a unit at Glynde Lutheran Homes, Adelaide, where he began to write his memoirs, while continuing to teach German.
Unfortunately, Margarethe began suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and was placed in the nursing home at Glynde. The final 18 months of Pastor Sander's life were spent in the hostel section of the Lutheran Homes, and in the final two and a half months before his death he had the joy of seeing his memoirs finally published.
Paster Sander's funeral service was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Gawler, Pastor Trevor Reu officiating. Pastor Norman had fully prepared his own funeral service.
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Pastor at the Zion and Immanuel Lutheran churches Gawler – 1970 – 1981
Pastor Sander was serving as a Chaplain at the Commonwealth Immigration Centre at Bonegilla in Victoria when he accepted the call to the Gawler Lutheran Parish to minister to both the Zion and the Immanuel congregations.
He and his family were the first to occupy the new manse built in Cowan Street.
To work more effectively in the two congregations, Pastor Sander was assisted by retired Pastor Harold Mattiske who lived in Tanunda. Later vicar Rex Mickan also worked with Pastor Sander.
Following the death of Pastor Mattiske, Pastor Conrad Einst Eckermann, a missionary in New Guinea returning to Australia, assisted Pastor Sander 1976 – 1978.
He provided particular leadership to the establishment of the Zion Pre-school Centre.
He retired for health reasons.
Pastor Sander spoke and taught the German language and supported the work of the Indo-Chinese Refugee Association to settle Vietnamese families in and around Gawler.
From 1980 – 1983, lay worker Beverley Nitschke assisted Pastor Sander, particularly with youth work.
Pastor Sander introduced pastoral visits to homes for the aged, encouraged the establishment of the Christian Education Centre in the old manse building, and was an avid supporter of Ladies Guild, Mens Fellowship, Youth Fellowship, Vacation Bible Schools, Cottage Bible Study Groups, and the establishment of the Zion Pre-School Centre and Immanuel Lutheran School.
After retiring from full-time ministry at Gawler aged nearly 68 years, Pastor Sander worked part-time in retirement at several places.
He died in 2002 with his funeral service held in the Zion Lutheran Church in Gawler.
For more information about these Pastors and photographs of them, refer to the booklet “Centenary of Zion Lutheran Church Gawler SA - 26 TH July 1908 – 26 th July 2008 – Celebrating 100 years of ministry and mission” and a copy is on our website under “Zion Lutheran Church”.
We thank Robert [Bob] Fielke for this information.
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